The spiritual benefits of journaling

Major Lynne Shaw celebrates the inspiration and connection that journaling can bring.

Journaling can be a powerful tool for self-development, wellbeing and spiritual growth. There are many different methods, countless possible prompts, thousands of tips and a vast array of notebooks, apps and online tools. There’s also a lot of hype but, with a sense of freedom, and maybe a little guidance, journaling can be adapted to fit you, whether you like to write – or speak – in paragraphs or a single sentence or, if you adopt the micro-journaling method, you don’t even use words at all.

You can journal for all sorts of reasons. A friend of mine journals to clarify their thoughts if they’ve been through something intense, and sometimes just to record a significant moment.

You can set aside a whole evening or choose a chunk of time to tackle a particular area of thinking, development and growth. You can use seasonal prompts – for example, Lent – or follow a topic or theme, such as ‘surrender’.

You might find your time under pressure, so a shorter way of journaling could involve reading one or two verses in the Bible, then taking 5 to 10 minutes to reflect on what they say to you or the questions they raise.

Committing that first word to the page can feel like a Herculean effort. One strategy to overcome this is to write about what’s getting you stirred up at the moment. Another strategy is to choose a colour that matches your mood, and then write why you’ve chosen that colour, even if it’s just a few words.

Remember: your journal is your private space. No one is marking your work! As a former teacher, this has been significant in getting past my mental blocks – I don’t have to spell everything correctly, have perfect grammar or use exemplary handwriting. Journaling is for me and my edification, and it can be whatever I need it to be, whether that stays the same over time or changes every day.

Major Paula Knight (Wood Green) says of her journaling: ‘The content of my journals have changed as I’ve moved through the different seasons of life. As a teenager I used my journal to process my thoughts and emotions, express my hopes and dreams and seek a life of holiness. I would write prayers of repentance, give long accounts of the difficult situations that I was facing and ask God for his guidance and wisdom. It helped clarify my thinking and gave time and space for God to speak to me.

Major Janet Thompson (THQ) says: ‘I didn’t have the words when Russia invaded Ukraine – my dad’s home – so I got messy and allowed colours and shapes to form as my soul cried out to God.’

You might write about how you feel, patterns you’ve noticed, special events or things that inspire you. You might journal about your insecurities, fears and shadows, your experiences, your thoughts – particularly the unhelpful ones – your ideas, dreams and visions or what you feel in the depths of your being.

Journaling can be a grounding force, a reminder you have agency, a way to empower yourself to find solutions, take action and grow. It can allow the wisdom you have gained to rise up and sooth or challenge you, or give voice to deep-seated emotions or questions that were tickling the back of your mind. It can also – and perhaps often should be – a space for gratitude, a chance to slow down and notice the goodness, wisdom and loving provision of God. However, whenever, and wherever you do it, the gift of journaling is reconnecting with yourself and with God.